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Babylon was one of a number of cities built by a succession of peoples that lived on the plain starting around 5,500 years ago. There developed a tradition in each city of building a temple in the shape of a stepped pyramid. These temples, or ziggurats, most likely honored a particular god. The people of Mesopotamia believed in many gods and often a city might have several ziggurats. Over time Babylon became the most influential city on the plain and its ziggurat, honoring the god Marduk, was built, destroyed and rebuilt until it was the tallest tower.
The Tower of Babel (Heb.Bãbhel, from Assyro-Babylonian bãb-ili, "gate of God"), was, according to the Old Testament (see Gen. 11:1-9), a tower erected on the plain of Shinar in Babylonia by descendants of Noah. Nimrod's name is from the verb "let us revolt." He is said to be a mighty hunter (gibbor tsayidh) in the sight of the Lord, but the language has a dark meaning. He becomes a tyrant or despot leading an organized rebellion against the rule of Yahweh. He hunts not animals, but rather the souls of men. The builders intended the tower to reach to heaven; their presumption, however, angered Jehovah, who interrupted construction by causing among them a previously unknown confusion of languages. He then scattered these people, speaking different languages, over the face of the earth.
The story possibly was inspired by the fall of the famous temple-tower of Etemenanki, later restored by King Nabopolassar (r. 626-605 BC) and his son Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylonia. The Genesis account appears to play on the Babylonian word bã b-ili ("gate of God") and on the Hebrew words Bã bhel ("Babylon") and bã lãl ("to confuse"). The English words babel and babble are derived from the story.
The ruins of an immense Babylonian ziggurat, or stepped pyramid, have been found near this fabled location and the romantic notion is that these remains are all that is left of the Tower Of Babel. Archaeologists examining the remains of the city of Babylon have found what appears to be the foundation of the tower: a square of earthen embankments some 300 feet on each side. The tower's most splendid incarnation was probably under King Nebuchadnezzar II who lived from 605-562 BC. The King rebuilt the tower to stand 295 feet high. According to an inscription made by the King the tower was constructed of "baked brick enameled in brilliant blue." The terraces of the tower may have also been planted with flowers and trees.
Constructing ziggurats on the Mesopotamian plain was not easy. The area lacks the stone deposits the Egyptians used effectively for their timeless monuments. The wood available is mostly palm, not the best for construction, so the people used what they had in abundance: mud and straw. The bulk of the towers were constructed of crude bricks made by mixing chopped straw with clay and pouring the results into molds. After the bricks were allowed to bake in the sun they were joined in construction by using bitumen, a slimy material imported from the Iranian plateau.
Artist Jose Mertz
Jose Mertz is an artist / image maker based in Miami, Fl.
His creative area of interest range from traditional drawing and painting to graphic & product design. He focuses on pushing an experimental original style with inspirations coming from Ancient Civilizations, Science Fiction, Eastern Philosophy, Dreams, Myth & the Super Natural. Embracing multimedia, his work has also been incorporated in graphic teeshirts, prints, stickers, installations & several other platforms that mend well with his personal imagery.
For more info: josemertz.com
Egypt doesn’t have the monopoly on pyramids. The Sudan has many of them, and discovers new ones regularly. The most beautiful and impressive pyramids form the Meroe necropolis. After a few hours on a brand new road (the same trip required two days on trails last year), we arrive at an unimaginably beautiful site: an alignment of small pyramids in the desert, bathed in the hot red sun on orange sand. No busses on the car park, no tourist shops. It’s almost like being the French explorer Fréderic Caillaud, who discovered the site in 1821! We understand immediately why UNESCO classified it as a World Heritage Site in 2011.
The pyramids were built between 4BC and 3AD. The site contains over two hundred of them, whereas Egypt has only a hundred in total! Forty kings and queens are buried here.
We notice immediately that the summits of all the pyramids have been blown off with dynamite. This is the work of the Italian explorer Giuseppe Ferlini, who in 1834 came and pillaged the site, taking away priceless treasures.
© Eric Lafforgue
Highlights from the wonderful exhibition of Tutankhamun's Gold Treasures at Saatchi Gallery London UK 30 Nov 2019.
© Amberinsea Photography 2019
Yemen, Sanaa, young adult on street with camel standing by door outside building
(c) Art in All of Us /Anthony Asael (a Corbis photographer)
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Highlights from the wonderful exhibition of Tutankhamun's Gold Treasures at Saatchi Gallery London UK 30 Nov 2019.
© Amberinsea Photography 2019
257 AD, House of the Vestals, Forum Romanum, Rome.
Fl(aviae) Publiciae v(irgini) V(estali) max(imae) / sanctissimae ac religiosis/simae quae per omnes gradus / sacerdotii aput(!) divina altaria / omnium deorum et ad aeternos ignes / diebus noctibusque pia mente rite / deserviens merito ad hunc / locum cum aetate pervenit / Bareius Zoticus cum Flavia / Verecunda sua ob eximiam eius / erga se benevolentiam praestantiamq(ue)
The Pharos of Alexandria was a lighthouse built in the 3rd century BC on the island of Pharos in Alexandria, Egypt to serve as that port's landmark, and later, a lighthouse.
History
Pharos was a small island just off the coast of Alexandria. It was linked to the mainland by a man-made connection named the Heptastadion, which thus formed one side of the city's harbour. As the Egyptian coast is very flat and lacking in the kind of landmark used at the time for navigation, a marker of some sort at the mouth of the harbour was deemed necessary - a function the Pharos was initially designed to serve. Use of the building as a lighthouse, with a fire and reflective mirrors at the top, is thought to date to around the 1st Century AD, during the Roman period. Prior to that time the Pharos served solely as a navigational landmark.
The building was designed by Sostratus of Cnidus (Greel Sostratos of Knidos or the Cnidian) in the 3rd century BC, after having been initiated by Satrap (governor) Ptolemy I of Egypt, Egypt's first Hellenistic ruler and a general of Alexander the Great.
After Alexander died unexpectedly at age 33, Ptolemy Soter (Saviour, named so by the inhabitants of Rhodes) made himself king in 305 BC and ordered the construction of the Pharos shortly thereafter.
The building was finished during the reign of his son, Ptolemy II Philadelphos.
According to popular legend, Sostratus was forbidden by Ptolemy from putting his name on his work. But the architect left the following inscription on the base's walls nonetheless: Sostratus, the son of Dexiphanes, the Cnidian, dedicated (or erected) this to the Saviour Gods, on behalf of those who sail the seas.
Inscription written in Greek translates - Sostratos of Dexiphanes [meaning: son of Dexiphanes] the Cnidian to Saviour Gods on behalf of the sea-faring.
These words were hidden under a layer of plaster, on top of which was chiselled another inscription honouring Ptolemy the king as builder of the Pharos. After centuries the plaster wore away, revealing the name of Sostratus.
The Pharos' walls were strengthened in order to withstand the pounding of the waves through the use of molten lead to hold its masonry together, and possibly as a result the building survived the longest of the Seven Wonders - with the sole exception of the Great Pyramid of Giza. It was still standing when the Muslim traveller Ibn Jubayr visited the city in 1183.
He said of it that: "Description of it falls short, the eyes fail to comprehend it, and words are inadequate, so vast is the spectacle." It appears that in his time there was a mosque located on the top.
It was severely damaged by two earthquakes in 1303 and 1323, to the point that the Arab traveller Ibn Battuta reported not being able to enter the ruin.
Even the stubby remnant disappeared in 1480, when the then-Sultan of Egypt, Qaitbay, built a medieval fort on the former location of the building, using some of the fallen stone. The remnants of the Pharos that were incorporated into the walls of Fort Qaitbey are clearly visible due to their excessive size in comparison to surrounding masonry.
With a height variously estimated at between 115 and 135 metres (383 - 440 ft) it was among the tallest man-made structures on Earth for many centuries, and was identified as one of the Seven Wonders of the World by Antipater of Sidon.
It ceased operating and was largely destroyed as a result of two earthquakes in the 14th century AD; some of its remains were found on the floor of Alexandria's Eastern Harbour by divers in 1994.
More of the remains have subsequently been revealed by satellite imaging.
Constructed from large blocks of light-colored stone, the tower was made up of three stages: a lower square section with a central core, a middle octagonal section, and, at the top, a circular section.
At its apex was positioned a mirror which reflected sunlight during the day; a fire was lit at night. Extant Roman coins struck by the Alexandrian mint show that a statue of a triton was positioned on each of the building's 4 corners. A statue of Poseidon stood atop the tower during the Roman period.
The design of minarets in many early Islamic mosques many centuries later followed a similar three-stage design to that of the Pharos, attesting to the building's broader architectural influence.
Legends tell of the light from the Pharos being used to burn enemy ships before they could reach shore, however this is highly unlikely due to the relatively poor quality of optics and reflective technology in the time period in which the building existed.
Only slightly less impressive - and probably more accurate - is the claim that the light from the lighthouse could be seen up to 35 miles (56 km) from shore.
Pharos later became the etymological origin of the word 'lighthouse' in many Romance languages, such as French (phare), Italian (faro), Portuguese (farol), Spanish (faro) and Romanian (far).
Chichen Itza, one of the largest Mayan temples, is located in the municipality of Tinum, in the Mexican state of Yucatan. Chichen Itza name means "At the mouth of the well of the Itza people" and refers to a large cenote (well) located near the temple. for more information: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chichen_Itza
See light box view!
Babylon and its gardens destroyed, by Gustav Doré (1832-1883)
Terraces and two tiers of arches may represent the gardens, apparently based on Ctesias.
Young monks taking time out on a visit to Angkor Wat.
You can view more of my most interesting shots here
Egyptian Museum, Turin (Italy)
Atenism, or the Amarna heresy, refers to the religious changes associated with the eighteenth dynasty Pharaoh Akhenaton. In the 14th century BC it was Egypt's state religion for around 20 years, before subsequent rulers returned to the traditional gods and the Pharaohs associated with Atenism were erased from Egyptian records.
So Amarna heresy created a problem for subsequent monarchs. It became necessary for them to demonstrate their re-allegiance to the traditional gods, the sacerdotal caste, and especially to the god of the Theban capital, Amun.
This sculpture demonstrates the subservience of the king to the god in no uncertain terms.
The king’s placement to the left of the god underscores his subordination, as do his smaller dimensions, his lack of a headdress other than the nemes-head cloth and the fact that he stands whereas the god sits. Like a wife in a double sculpture, the king shows his love by embracing the god, a gesture that is not reciprocated. Instead, the god’s left hand is occupied, holding the ankh-symbol of life.
Indeed, the Amarna features of the king are so compelling as to suggest that this sculpture is the product of the immediate Amarna successor, King Tutankhamun. The fact that the inscription is that of the later King Haremhab is usually explained away as an usurpation, a common royal phenomenon.
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©Roberto Bertero, All Rights Reserved. This image is not available for use on websites, blogs or other media without the explicit written permission of the photographer.
Leptis Magna was a prominent city of the Roman Empire, its ruins are located in Khoms, east of Tripoli, on the coast where the Wadi Lebda meets the sea, the site is one of the most spectacular Roman ruins in the Mediterranean and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
© Eric Lafforgue
A Walking Tour of Chichén Itzá: Chichén Itzá, one of best known archaeological sites of the Maya civilization, has a split personality. The site is located in the northern Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, about 90 miles from the coast. The south half of the site, called Old Chichén, was constructed beginning about 700 AD, by Puuc Maya emigres from the southern Yucatan. The Puuc built temples and palaces at Chichén Itzá including the Red House (Casa Colorada) and the Nunnery (Casa de las Monejas). The Toltec component of Chichén Itzá arrived from Tula about 950 AD and their influence can be seen in the the Osario (the High Priest's Grave), and the Eagle and Jaguar Platforms. Most interestingly, a cosmopolitan blending of the two created the Observatory (the Caracol) and the Temple of the Warriors.
The Castillo (or castle in Spanish) is the monument that people think of when they think of Chichén Itzá. It is mostly Toltec construction, and it probably dates to the period of the first combination of cultures in the 9th century AD at Chichén. El Castillo is centrally located on the south edge of the Great Plaza. The pyramid is 30 meters high and 55 meters on a side, and it was built with nine succeeding platforms with four staircases. The staircases have balustrades with carved feathered serpents, the open-jawed head at the foot and the rattle held high at the top. The last remodel of this monument included one of the fanciest jaguar thrones known from such sites, with red paint and jade insets for eyes and spots on the coat, and flaked chert fangs. The principal stairway and entrance is on the north side, and the central sanctuary is surrounded by a gallery with the main portico.
Information about the solar, Toltec, and Maya calendars is carefully built into el Castillo. Each stairway has exactly 91 steps, times four is 364 plus the top platform equals 365, the days in the solar calendar. The pyramid has 52 panels in the nine terraces; 52 is the number of years in the Toltec cycle. Each of the nine terraced steps are divided in two: 18 for the months in the yearly Maya calendar. Most impressively, though, is not the numbers game, but the fact that on the autumnal and vernal equinoxes, the sun shining on the platform edges forms shadows on the balustrades of the north face that look like a writhing rattle snake.
Archaeologist Edgar Lee Hewett described el Castillo as a design "of exceptionally high order, indicating great progress in architecture." That most zealous of Spanish friar zealots Bishop Landa reported that the structure was called Kukulcan, or 'feathered serpent' pyramid, as if we needed to be told twice.
The amazing equinoctial display at el Castillo (where the snake wriggles on the balustrades) was video-taped during Spring Equinox 2005 by Isabelle Hawkins and the Exploratorium. The videocast is in both Spanish and English versions, and the show lasts a good hour waiting for the clouds to part, but holy cow! is it worth watching.
Photo taken in February 1986 on Kodachrome 64 film with a Minolta SLR camera and Vivitar 70-150 zoom. Scanned 2005. Photo by: Jim Gateley. Text Copyright 2006: archaeology.about.com/mbiopage.htm used with permission. A list of references used for this project is available for further reading on Chichén Itzá.
"And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wreath of her fornications." Revelation 14:8 [10]
Ever since the construction of the Tower of Babel as the beginning of Nimrod's Kingdom and his religion of Paganism which is a man-made, man-ruled religion for a man-devised salvation, spoken of in Genesis 10:8-10 and 11:1-19, the word "Babylon" has stood for confusion in the Bible and Hebrew language.[20] It refers particularly to confusion in religion. The true God of heaven made war against Babylon and its false god of self-elevation, and frustrated Satan's attempt to form a one-world religion and political system designed to destroy the truth about God and thereby destroying God's people on earth. To do this God simply confused man's languages and scatter them abroad in order to buy time to carry out his plan of salvation.
Satan almost succeeded in having his way in the days of Noah when men's hearts imagined only "evil continually" [100], but the flood destroyed them all. And as we have seen above, Satan was making great progress at Babel through Noah's great grandson Nimrod, but God again frustrated his plans. Still, Satan used the false religion of Babel which has come to be called Paganism to conduct a great spiritual war against God's people Israel throughout the Old Testament period and very nearly succeeded in having his way time after time. Particularly when Nebuchadnezzar, a later king of Babylon took Judah and Israel captive. But God has always preserved a "remnant" to Himself in every age - a few faithful people who would live by faith in His Word. As Jesus told Satan in the wilderness of temptation-
"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4
The source of man's weakness and failure is that man is inclined by his carnal nature to trust himself instead of God, to glorify self instead of God, and to follow his own way, which is actually Satan's way, instead of God's unselfish way. And so it is, the beast's doctrines do not glorify God, only itself. Any doctrine that makes God look bad, is a bad doctrine. All sins are acts of selfish disbelief in what God says. Without exception in any instance since man's creation Satan has always found it necessary to first separate man from belief in God's Word before he can separate man from God by acts of sin. Satan works to do this in two ways:
1. Withholding from man, if possible, what God has said in His Word, the Holy Bible, either by keeping people too busy to read it or by not allowing a copy of the Bible to come into their grasp.
2. By inspiring disbelief or distrust in what they do know God says.
Is it any wonder that the apostle Paul cries out to Timothy as he foresees the fall of the church?[110]
"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." 2.Timothy 4:2-5
Here we find good counsel for preachers and teachers of our own age. "Preach the Word!" The message of too many pulpits is based on politics, travel, or almost anything except the Word of God. Paul says, the time will come when people do not appreciate straight Bible truth, but will choose teachers to speak smooth words. To many people today, preaching sound doctrine amounts to doctrinal nit-picking. Believe me, the time Paul spoke about is our time today! This is not the time in history where we should hear smooth things; we need to be aroused by the cutting truth of the Word of God.
Some preachers expect their church goers never to read literature which challenges their teachings. God's Word says to compare what is preached with the Word and hold fast that which is found in its pages. We grow up either in Christ or sideways into false teachings. We are living in a time when Satan is busy sowing seeds in people's mind which leads to skepticism and infidelity. Error is taught so insidiously that faith of many is rapidly undermined. People come to church to have their faith built-up, but too often, instead it is undermined by the wind of all sorts of doctrines. Men and women have excellent gifts, great abilities, the best qualifications, but one sin, one defect, will proof to the character what the worm-eaten plank does to a ship - it leads to utter disaster and ruin.
Link: www.specialtyinterests.net/the_fall_of_babylon_scarlet_wo...